Posted by Blogger Name. Category:
WHAT DRIVES MUSEVENI'S CHOICE OF MAJ. GEN. W. MBADI.
The recent elevation of Wilson Mbadi to the rank of Maj. General and his appointment as one of the three top Commanders of the NRA is part of the ongoing countrywide counter Insurgency campaign.
Wilsom Mbadi is a Mukonjo by tribe of Kasese district. The Bakonjo occupy the greater part of the strategic Mountain Rwenzori. This mountain that borders with DRC has a history of harbouring guerilla groups. In the 1960s, fighters of the Rwenzururu Freedom Movement established bases in the Rwenzori mountain. UNLF-AD under Cheif Ali established bases in the Rwenzori Mountains during the early 1980s. When the going grew tougher for Museveni's NRA in Luwero in 1984, it retreated to the Rwenzori Mountains. The NALU of Amon Bazira had bases in the Rwenzori mountains during the late 1980s. Since the mid 1990s, the ADF guerillas have enjoyed sanctuary in the Rwenzori mountains. For all these fighting groups, the Rwenzori mountain has provided them with tactical advantage.
The local residents who are the Bakonjo have rendered a hand in one way or the other to the fighting groups. However, for quite sometime the voting pattern of Kasese district has been a source of worry for Museveni. Suprisingly, Kasese district is an opposition FDC stronghold throughout the western region. Though the district has a number of other tribes like the Batooro, Bakiga and Banyankole who are found in urban centres, it is the indigenous Bakonjo who are the majority in the mountainious areas. The indigenous minority Basongora, occupy a small area in the lowlands.
Therefore the majority of the voters in Kasese district are the Bakonjo. At one time the opposition party (FDC) shadow Minister of Defence was an MP from Kasese. The PRA guerilla group had a good number of Bakonjo boys. Maj. Muhindo who deserted the NRA is suspected to be with PRA. A number of ADF fighters are Bakonjo hailing from Kasese
district.
The Bakonjo ENJOY
an advantage accross the border in DRC where they have close ethinic linkages with some communities there. The Bandandi and Banyabwishi ethinic communities in DRC are close cousins of the Bakonjo in Uganda. They occupy strategic areas along the Rwenzori mountains on the DRC side. They extend to areas of DRC accross Lake Edward, Bushenyi, Kihihi, Bwindi/Kanungu in Uganda. This includes the strategic Kanyabayonga rised ground in DRC. An influential Munyabwitsi and now a DRC Minister Mbusa Nyamwisi was a one time Museveni backed rebel leader in Eastern DRC before the two fell out.
On the northern side of the Rwenzori in Uganda's Bundibugyo district are the politically dormant Bambas. By ethinicity, the Bambas have no linkage with any ethinic group in DRC. Instead, Museveni mobilised the Pastrolist Hema communities accross the Semuliki River in DRC during the Ituri conflict. To fully secure that geographical sector, he linked them with the Ugandan Batuku ethinic pastrolist group in Ntoroko. He has granted them district status and is now working on issolating them from the Tooro Kingdom.
Therefore in the Rwenzori region, it is the politically active and naturally secretive, industrous but determined Bakonjo who remain a problem to Museveni. His schemes of issolating the minority Basongora from the Tooro kingdom and granting them a separate district may not materialise as the Bakonjo remain a domminant force in Kasese. The appointment of Cryspus Kiyonga as Minister of defence has not realised the intended results on the ground. The District Chairmanship of a reknown former NRA highway robber, Col Dula Mawa has not made the desired impact.
It is against that background that Museveni elevated Wilsom Mbadi to the top of the army leadership. Wilsom Mbadi joined the NRA after it come to power. He can read and write and may have attended lower secondary school. He had his basic military training at Kabamba training school. As was the practice then, he was among those few selected to remain in the training school to be trained as an instructor. He was seconded by then Capt. Benard Obola and Capt. Clovice Kalyebara who were senior instructors at Kabamba. He served as a parrade/drills instructor at Kabamba for about two years where he earned the rank of Corporal. Later he was taken with other instructors to Singo training school under then Maj. Clovice Kalyebara to CONTINUE instructing recruits. It was at Singo that luck struck and Mbadi was selected to attend the Caded course at Sundhurst. Upon return he was commissioned. Such offers occassionally come up. Vet. Dr. Maj. Sabiiti Mutengesa also attended the same course before he was persecuted into exile. Museveni being a believer in tribalism, has always elevated army officers along such considerations. Katumba Wamala is one such example. Mbadi was lucky to have served with Aronda under the tank brigade who cleared him for body guard to Museveni. Now, Mbadi has the task of convincing the Bakonjo to back Museveni but moreso reach out to his cousins in DRC.
Wilsom Mbadi is a Mukonjo by tribe of Kasese district. The Bakonjo occupy the greater part of the strategic Mountain Rwenzori. This mountain that borders with DRC has a history of harbouring guerilla groups. In the 1960s, fighters of the Rwenzururu Freedom Movement established bases in the Rwenzori mountain. UNLF-AD under Cheif Ali established bases in the Rwenzori Mountains during the early 1980s. When the going grew tougher for Museveni's NRA in Luwero in 1984, it retreated to the Rwenzori Mountains. The NALU of Amon Bazira had bases in the Rwenzori mountains during the late 1980s. Since the mid 1990s, the ADF guerillas have enjoyed sanctuary in the Rwenzori mountains. For all these fighting groups, the Rwenzori mountain has provided them with tactical advantage.
The local residents who are the Bakonjo have rendered a hand in one way or the other to the fighting groups. However, for quite sometime the voting pattern of Kasese district has been a source of worry for Museveni. Suprisingly, Kasese district is an opposition FDC stronghold throughout the western region. Though the district has a number of other tribes like the Batooro, Bakiga and Banyankole who are found in urban centres, it is the indigenous Bakonjo who are the majority in the mountainious areas. The indigenous minority Basongora, occupy a small area in the lowlands.
Therefore the majority of the voters in Kasese district are the Bakonjo. At one time the opposition party (FDC) shadow Minister of Defence was an MP from Kasese. The PRA guerilla group had a good number of Bakonjo boys. Maj. Muhindo who deserted the NRA is suspected to be with PRA. A number of ADF fighters are Bakonjo hailing from Kasese
district.
The Bakonjo ENJOY
an advantage accross the border in DRC where they have close ethinic linkages with some communities there. The Bandandi and Banyabwishi ethinic communities in DRC are close cousins of the Bakonjo in Uganda. They occupy strategic areas along the Rwenzori mountains on the DRC side. They extend to areas of DRC accross Lake Edward, Bushenyi, Kihihi, Bwindi/Kanungu in Uganda. This includes the strategic Kanyabayonga rised ground in DRC. An influential Munyabwitsi and now a DRC Minister Mbusa Nyamwisi was a one time Museveni backed rebel leader in Eastern DRC before the two fell out. On the northern side of the Rwenzori in Uganda's Bundibugyo district are the politically dormant Bambas. By ethinicity, the Bambas have no linkage with any ethinic group in DRC. Instead, Museveni mobilised the Pastrolist Hema communities accross the Semuliki River in DRC during the Ituri conflict. To fully secure that geographical sector, he linked them with the Ugandan Batuku ethinic pastrolist group in Ntoroko. He has granted them district status and is now working on issolating them from the Tooro Kingdom.
Therefore in the Rwenzori region, it is the politically active and naturally secretive, industrous but determined Bakonjo who remain a problem to Museveni. His schemes of issolating the minority Basongora from the Tooro kingdom and granting them a separate district may not materialise as the Bakonjo remain a domminant force in Kasese. The appointment of Cryspus Kiyonga as Minister of defence has not realised the intended results on the ground. The District Chairmanship of a reknown former NRA highway robber, Col Dula Mawa has not made the desired impact.
It is against that background that Museveni elevated Wilsom Mbadi to the top of the army leadership. Wilsom Mbadi joined the NRA after it come to power. He can read and write and may have attended lower secondary school. He had his basic military training at Kabamba training school. As was the practice then, he was among those few selected to remain in the training school to be trained as an instructor. He was seconded by then Capt. Benard Obola and Capt. Clovice Kalyebara who were senior instructors at Kabamba. He served as a parrade/drills instructor at Kabamba for about two years where he earned the rank of Corporal. Later he was taken with other instructors to Singo training school under then Maj. Clovice Kalyebara to CONTINUE
instructing recruits. It was at Singo that luck struck and Mbadi was selected to attend the Caded course at Sundhurst. Upon return he was commissioned. Such offers occassionally come up. Vet. Dr. Maj. Sabiiti Mutengesa also attended the same course before he was persecuted into exile. Museveni being a believer in tribalism, has always elevated army officers along such considerations. Katumba Wamala is one such example. Mbadi was lucky to have served with Aronda under the tank brigade who cleared him for body guard to Museveni. Now, Mbadi has the task of convincing the Bakonjo to back Museveni but moreso reach out to his cousins in DRC. Posted by Uganda - A Change of Guards! a
Viele GruBe
Robukui
UAH forum is devoted to matters of interest to Ugandans. Individuals are responsible for whatever they post on this forum.To unsubscribe from this group, send email to: ugandans-at-heart+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com or Abbey Semuwemba at: abbeysemuwemba@gmail.com.
